I have been an owner/handler/lover of Anatolian Shepherd Dogs since 1987 ... The Anatolian is from Turkey (Anatolian Plateau) and is one of the Shepherd's dogs that has been guarding the Turkish Shepherd's flocks of goats and sheep, not to mention their villages, for thousands of years. This is an amazing dog that is capable of adapting to the most severe climate conditions ... since in Turkey, the weather goes from 140ºF in Summer to -65ºF in Winter. They work on very little food and are devoted to their job. They are wonderful "nanny" dogs and generally love children. They are a very devoted and loyal companion and can be the best friend a person has ever had. These dogs come in a variety of colors, with the Fawn/Black mask being the most common. They are very large dogs and can be up from 27" at the withers for females and 29" for males; and from 85 lbs to 140 lbs in weight. The Anatolian is extremely fast and has been clocked at 35 mph. Most Anatolians tend to be aloof with strangers, but can be very friendly once they have been introduced and have accepted them. As a Livestock Guardian Dog, these dogs can be dog aggressive (they mostly see strange dogs as predators) unless highly socialized from puppyhood. At this time, we have dogs being used as Livestock Guardians, home Guardians, therapy dogs, service dogs, show dogs, and outstanding companion dogs. I, myself, cannot see living with any other breed of dog .. I am definitely an Anatolian Addict!!!

Your Anatolians share many of the same traits as my Filas, except that the Fila is very aloof with strangers, rarely accepting physical contact even after introduction, and they are not typically dog aggressive (although ours hate coyotes), probably since the most common predator of herds in South America, where they originate, is the jaguar, which, along with being herd dogs, they were bred to hunt. The Fila is also a drover, which is a big help here since we have cattle. The dogs enjoy running and rounding them up much more than we do! (lol)

I love seeing more of the rare breeds represented here. Although most are not appropriate for many dog owners, it's great that people get to see them and read about them from people with first-hand experience.